Category: Wick Academy

Lossiemouth were undone by two late goals from Wick Academy at Grant Park. A tense affair saw Lossie keep their guests at bay well into the second half but a David Allan strike from close range gave Wick the lead with seven minutes left. Allan added a second as injury time ran out, condemning Lossie to a third defeat in a week and keeping Wick third in the table.

Two goals in the opening minutes gave Wick Academy a lead they never looked like letting slip, and another first half strike was followed by a final minute fourth as the Scorries continued their pursuit of the title.

Lossie travelled with a patched up squad and were missing Scott Wilson after he went off injured against Forres in midweek, while the bench featured an up and coming trialist named Steven Dixon. Wick were without Michael Steven and Sam Mackay due to injury and work commitments respectively.

Wick started like a train and were ahead after only two minutes. Gary WEIR rounded Hall and left footed the ball into an empty net to get the hosts off and running.

One became two only minutes later when Richard MACADIE thundered home a second from inside the area.

Lossie were defensively all over the place and Wicks failed to add to their tally was the result of some complacent finishing. Willie Mathers headed an effort off the line, while Hall saved at least three goalbound efforts

Wick ended the game as a contest midway through the half when James PICKLES volleyed home from a dozen yards.

Half time – Wick Academy 3-0 Lossiemouth

Lossie spent the second half playing down the Harmsworth slope but the strong wind blowing in the faces of the visitors rendered useless the geographical advantage.

Lossie almost made it through the second half unscathed but the final two minutes saw things go from bad to worse. Grant Mitchell picked up his second booking of the day and was ordered off.

Lossiemouth overcame a stubborn Wick Academy side to progress to the quarter-finals of the Breedon Aggregates Highland League Cup. Elliot Winter bagged his second goal in consecutive games to get the Coasters off and running, and a late Scott Dun penalty sealed the win against ten man Wick.

Lossie travelled with almost a full squad, with new recruit Shawn Scott thrown into the starting line-up for his fourth debut at the club. Willie Mathers was absent following a recall to parent club Formartine United, while Liam Archibald missed out due to injury.

The game started in blustery conditions with Wick donning the crampons to make their way up the hill, and the hosts struggled to deal with the conditions. Errol Watson looked bored as Wick pottered about in Lossies half without ever looking like creating a solid chance.

The last time the sides met they carved out a goalless draw and neither looked like scoring many today. Lossie were denied the opener late in the half when Grant Steven cleared off the line an effort from Ryan Farquhar, but that was as close as either side came to scoring in the first half.

Half time – Wick Academy 0-0 Lossiemouth

The game restarted with Lossie playing up the infamous Harmsworth Park slope and dealing with the wind pushing them on, but the hill proved no obstacle to Lossie who went on to dominate the remainder of the game.

The second half was only a few minutes old when the visitors took the lead. Callum Dunbar played a ball through the Wick defence to Elliot WINTER who fired it back across goal, past More and into the corner of the net. His second goal in four days, Winter would go on to claim the sponsors man of the match award for his efforts.

Wick Academy were visibly frustrated with how things were going and their game threatened to go to bits completely in the second half, but with Lossie only a goal in front Wick didn’t need much to get back into the game. The equaliser failed to come, however, and even the Scorries attempts to claim a penalty went wrong, as a brouhaha in the box following a Kevin Flett challenge on David Allan ended with Sam Mackay being sent off for raising his hands.

Lossie sealed the win with an injury time penalty. Breaking from their own half, Lossie attacked with pace and Scott Dunn was brought down inside the area by More. Once the keeper was booked for the challenge, DUNN stepped up and put the ball away to send the Coasters into the draw for the next round.

The win sees Lossiemouth into the quarter-finals and the Coasters face a game against Huntly at Christie Park for a place in the final four. While Lossie remain in the bottom five in the league, a cup tie at Huntly is a winnable one and a cup run would be a fine way to end a season that has seen improvement on the park.

A second half strike from Ross Archibald earned Lossie their first win against Wick Academy since January 2005. The Harmsworth side spurned chance after chance and were made to pay when Archibald pounced to score from inside the six yard box with twenty minutes left.

Lossie were without the suspended Steven Sim and the injured Tony Ross and JJ Urquhart, but Bryan Bell recovered from a knock picked up in midweek to start the game. Wick opened their league season with 3-3 draw at home to Clach but arrived at Grant Park without the influential David Allan.

The opening stages belonged to Lossie, and Martin McMullan sent a looping shot towards goal which eventually sailed just wide of the post and was closer to hitting the target than Wick keeper James More expected. Soon after, Ross Archibald, a thorn in the side of Wick all afternoon, sent a cross to the back post for Kevin Grant but his shot ended up in the hands of More.

Wick started to impose themselves on the game and could have been ahead on the half hour. Sam Mackay found himself clean through on goal and with all the time he needed to score, but found McConnachie in his path to block his tame shot. Mackay then turned provider, setting up Gary Weir for a similar opportunity, but the usually sharp Weir stumbled over the ball and saw his weak shot saved by McConnachie.

Lossie were noticeably edgy but in front of goal Craig Morrison was causing problems. A curling corner from the striker was headed off the line, and soon after Morrison sprung the offside trap to race onto a long ball from Flett, but his attempt to chip the keeper soared into the sky and came down into the keepers hands.

Wick went close to opening the scoring as the half drew to a close as Richard Macadie attempted an overhead kick from inside the area, only to send the ball a few yards over the bar.

Half time – Lossiemouth 0 Wick Academy 0

Lossie replaced Grant Milne with Garry Macdonald and the hosts were immediately stronger in the middle of the park. Out wide, Milton crossed to the back post and Kevin Grant drew another save from More. The second half brought about the appearance of Jamie Bagley and his first contribution was send in another cross for Morrison which was headed over.

Wick still looked the more likely of the sides to score, and a perfectly timed challenge by Kevin Stuart on Macadie prevented the Wicker from getting a shot away. Weir continued to labour against Lossies stubborn defence, slicing a volley from a corner well over the bar. Steven Cunningham was next to try his luck against McConnachie and joined the list of players to be foiled as the keeper again kept the game scoreless.

Wicks wastefulness in front of goal eventually came back to haunt them when Lossie took the lead. The hardworking Colin Charlesworth rifled a low shot at More from outside the area which the keeper couldn’t hold onto, and Ross ARCHIBALD reacted fastest to send the loose ball into the net.

One could have been two when a long ball over the top caught the Wick defence too high up the pitch and Kevin Grant raced onto it, only to waste the opportunity by rushing his shot and sending the ball out of the ground.

Wick continued their search for a goal but were once again denied by McConnachie, who palmed a Macadie shot over the bar. The one time the Lossie keeper found himself beaten was when a Cunningham header sailed across the face of goal and just wide of the post.

That proved to be the last action of the game and Lossie can look forward to consecutive games against North opposition as they look to climb the table.